The Vascular Surgery Research Group has been based at the TQEH for approximately 20 years now. Our group consists of both clinicians and laboratory researchers. Research themes address both basic laboratory science and clinical research. Major interests include peripheral arterial disease and associated impaired wound healing in patients with diabetes. Research projects address aspects of the pathophysiology of vascular inflammation and wound healing, potential therapies and their clinical implications.

Approximately 75% of lower limb amputations in Australia are associated with diabetic foot ulcers. Predisposing factors contributing to the risk of amputation are the presence and severity of infection and ischaemia, size of the ulcer and presence of osteomyelitis. The Wifi model, which takes these factors into account, has recently been developed. We aim to externally validate the Wifi model and assess what other factors are correlated with outcomes.

Anti-integrin therapy to improve healing of diabetic wounds (in collaboration with Professor Allison Cowin, (Regenerative Medicine, University of South Australia) (suitable for Honours or PhD students)

Up to 25% of people with diabetes will develop non-healing ulcers. Inflammation is a fundamental component of normal wound healing but excessive inflammation is a major contributing factor leading to chronic non-healing wounds. We aim to identify immune specific integrins in chronic wounds and determine whether immune specific integrin function-blocking antibodies dampen inflammation and improve healing in diabetic mouse models.

This trial is currently recruiting subjects who have been diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Small aneurysms are not usually harmful but larger ones will need surgery to avoid the aneurysm rupturing, an outcome that is frequently fatal.

The aim of the trial is to test whether administration of the blood pressure drug, telmisartan, can stop the aneurysm from becoming larger, thereby preventing the need for surgery to fix the aneurysm. Subjects will take a daily tablet of either Telmisartan or an inactive tablet every day for two years and have six monthly visits to the trial staff to monitor their health and check if the aneurysm has become any larger.

The Australian e-Health Research Centre, Computational Informatics, CSIRO and the Royal Brisbane and Womens’ Hospital

Brisbane, Queensland

Australia

Ms M Barnes

Mathematics, Informatics and Statistics, CSIRO

Adelaide, South Australia

Australia

Prof J Golledge

James Cook University

Townsville, Queensland

Australia

Professor M Thompson

St George’s Vascular Institute

London

UK

Professor R Sayers

Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester

Leicester

UK

Dr JR Boyle

Cambridge University Hospitals

Cambridge

UK

Dr T Forbes

Division of Vascular Surgery, London Health Sciences Centre

London, Ontario

Canada

TEDY Trial and Small AAA trial

Prof J Golledge

James Cook University

Townsville, Queensland

Australia

National Centre of Research Excellence to improve management of peripheral arterial disease

Prof J Golledge

James Cook University

Townsville, Queensland

Australia

Cooperative Centre for Wound Healing

Professor A Cowin

University of South Australia

Adelaide, South Australia

Australia

Professor N Voelcker

University of South Australia

Adelaide, South Australia

Australia

Steering Committee for development of the new International Standards for Vascular Care. (Society for Vascular Surgery, European Society for Vascular Surgery and World Federation of Vascular Societies)